Biohacking is taking centre stage as a global mainstream health trend this year, and a motley cast of characters is supporting it.
Once the niche preserve of tech innovators, bioengineers and scientists in Silicon Valley and related tech hubs, biohacking has undergone a remarkable transformation from its infancy in the US in the late 1980s.
It has matured into an increasingly respected, death-defying, life-enhancement, life-extension movement in 2025. As an industry, the biohacking is poised for phenomenal growth.
Biohacking, also called “do-it-yourself [DIY] biology” and “human enhancement”, is a multifaceted approach. It combines biology, technology, science and self-experimentation aimed at optimising human performance and health in body and mind.
The underlying philosophy is rooted in the desire to transcend natural biological limitations, including ageing and physical decline.
Its roots can be traced back to the DIY movement of the 1950s and 1960s. It started off as a diverse movement of technological exploration and “citizen science”. It had little to nothing to do with health and wellbeing at that time.
The contemporary biohacking movement followed a shift towards health optimisation and personal enhancement. It now embraces science, technology, biology, genetic engineering, “neurohacking” (a subset focused on optimising brain function and mental performance), self-experimentation and simple lifestyle changes.
This convergence of personalised medicine, technological innovation, research validation and changing consumer demands is fostering respect for biohacking methods even within orthodox medical circles. It is encouraging a more holistic healthcare paradigm.
Key biohacking trends identified for 2025 include:
- Wearable devices, personalised health and data-driven wellness — advances in wearable technology, including fitness trackers and sleep aids, will continue to dominate the biohacking landscape, supported by advances in sensor technology and AI integration.
- Genetic testing and editing — personal genomic testing and especially Crispr, a groundbreaking gene-editing technology, are becoming more accessible to allow for tailored health routines based on genetic insights to enhance physical and cognitive performance.
- Gut health (microbiome, aka “second brain”) optimisation — the use of probiotics, prebiotics and even genetic engineering techniques to modify gut bacteria for improved health outcomes in body and mind.
- Longevity and cellular health — extending healthspan through interventions, including gene therapy and advanced supplements, targeting cellular ageing, mitochondrial health and telomere length.
- AI-powered health solutions — AI is advancing biohacking practices by providing personalised treatment plans and improving diagnostic accuracy. AI’s integration into healthcare will facilitate faster identification of conditions and more effective drug-development processes.
Early biohackers were influenced by the “hacker” ethic that emphasised creativity, innovation and freedom to experiment with technology outside institutional settings. The association of “hacking” with unauthorised access to computer systems, data breaches and cybercrime hampered the movement.
That created stigma around activities labelled as hacking, including biohacking. It stifled growth and caused scepticism from the medical community and the public regarding legitimacy and safety.
Over time, hacking benefited from the halo of positive associations with innovation, creativity and problem-solving. The emergence of ethical hacking in cybersecurity further shifted perceptions. It led to broader acceptance of biohacking in different contexts, including health and wellness.
Among the motley group credited with boosting biohacking’s reputation are entrepreneurs, “human cyborgs” and the odd Hollywood film star, Gwyneth Paltrow chief among them.
Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, Goop, has been the subject of ridicule and controversy, for promotion of unconventional health practices and products. However, fans believe that she has contributed to broader acceptance of biohacking concepts in mainstream medicine and culture.
There is no doubting the contribution of US entrepreneur Dave Asprey, who is often called “the father of biohacking”. A four-time New York Times best-selling author and host of the podcast The Human Upgrade, Asprey is also often wrongly credited with coining the term “biohacking”. The term first appeared in a 1988 Washington Post article describing a subculture of individuals performing techno-biological experiments in their garages.
Asprey’s biohacking journey began in the 1990s with personal experimentation after he became obese, weighing 136kg, and was seriously ill. Over two decades, he invested about $2m, experimenting with techniques ranging from dietary changes to advanced medical treatments, such as stem-cell injections. He lost more than 45kg and improved his health.
He founded Bulletproof, a company known for his two most famous “biohacks”: Bulletproof Coffee and the Bulletproof Diet that emphasises high-quality fats and low carbohydrates for optimal health.
Bulletproof Coffee is a unique blend of high-quality coffee, grass-fed butter and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Asprey was inspired to create it after drinking yak butter tea during a trek in Tibet in 2004.
He spent years perfecting the recipe, experimenting on himself to monitor its effects on energy and cognitive function. He created a drink that promotes sustained energy and is satiating, without the typical caffeine “crash” or “jitters”.
Bulletproof Coffee quickly became an international trend appealing to health-conscious individuals and biohackers alike. It has found its way onto the menu of bespoke coffee shops, including at OR Tambo and other international airports — despite Asprey’s trademark restrictions.
Asprey’s contribution as the “father of biohacking” is acknowledged as extensive and pioneering. It pales in comparison with that of his “offspring”, the “poster boy of biohacking”, as US entrepreneur and “almost billionaire” Bryan Johnson is known.
Johnson is also known as the man who is “ageing backwards”. That’s due to his extreme commitment to reversing the effects of ageing and enhancing health through his Blueprint project.
The project involved a $4m investment in anti-ageing treatments and a rigorous health regimen that employs a data-driven approach, extensive assessments by a team of medical doctors and real-time health metrics to personalise his protocol. Johnson’s practices include a strict diet, numerous supplements and advanced technologies, such as plasma exchanges with family members.
He describes his approach as outsourcing management of his body to an “anti-ageing algorithm”. He believes that it is more effective than traditional human oversight.
Biohacking has benefited from the contribution of certain “human cyborg” biohackers.
The title of first notable human cyborg in biohacking is often attributed to British-Irish contemporary artist Neil Harbisson, who enjoys a reputation as the world’s first legally recognised cyborg due to his pioneering use of technology to enhance human perception.
He was born with achromatopsia, a condition of complete colour blindness in which people perceive the world only in shades of grey. To overcome this limitation, Harbisson had an antenna implanted in his skull in 2004 that allows him to “hear” colours through sound vibrations. It also allows him to “hear” colours outside the human visual spectrum, such as infrared and ultraviolet, greatly expanding his sensory experience.
Perhaps the most controversial human cyborg biohacker is Josiah Zayner, a US biophysicist and biohacker who worked for Nasa. He is known for radical self-experimentation with gene editing and founded a company that sells DIY Crispr kits, allowing individuals to experiment with gene editing at home.
In 2017, Zayner hit the headlines when he publicly injected himself with a Crispr-based treatment aimed at enhancing his muscle growth during a live-streamed event. He probably expected most people to see his actions as social activism aimed at democratising biotechnology. Many in the scientific community saw them as reckless and irresponsible.
SA is slowly embracing the biohacking trend.
Johannesburg physician, cardiologist, and longevity medicine specialist Dr Riaz Motara says there is “already growth in the field”. Motara incorporates biohacking philosophy and methods where appropriate into his practice.
The country has its own “professional biohacker and health futurist”, as Steve Stavs describes himself on his website. With an undergraduate degree in science and certifications in functional medicine and Chinese medicine, Stavs says he “combines many disciplines of medicine to offer clients a bespoke plan”, which includes biohacking.
Thrive Labs, a Johannesburg-based biohacking facility, is changing its business model to be more community-based. Planned services will include ice baths, hot-cold contrast and red-light therapies, vagus nerve and peptide therapies, nutrition, dental and hormone health, meditation and movement workshops, intermittent fasting and “grounding sunlight”.
“Basically, all the things that help to keep you feeling and looking young,” says Thrive Labs chair Mark de Gouveia.
Clearly, biohacking offers many potential benefits. However, experts stress the need for caution and oversight. There is concern about safety, ethics and scientific validation. A key issue is the lack of robust scientific evidence supporting biohacking claims. Many practices are not supported by rigorous clinical studies. This leads to scepticism about efficacy and potential harm from self-experimentation.
Safety issues include concerns around unregulated methods, such as genetic modifications and invasive procedures. These pose health risks, especially when conducted by individuals without medical training.
The rise of biohackers without formal medical backgrounds can also contribute to the spread of misinformation. This emphasises the importance of professional guidance in health optimisation.
The biohacking movement continues to raise ethical questions about informed consent and exploitation of vulnerable populations through unverified treatments. Regulatory challenges highlight the need for stricter regulations to oversee biohacking practices and ensure consumer safety.
In the end, there’s a saying that ageing is the process of “death by a thousand cuts”.
De Gouveia says his company’s mission, and the biohacking movement’s aim in general, is to help people understand where these “cuts” come from and how to safely reduce the number of cuts, and reverse the damage already done.
While it may not be truly possible to “turn back the clock”, biohacking proves that you can “wind it up again” for health in body and mind.
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